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For anyone heating their home/office in the winter, the energy consumed by their computer effectively has zero cost. The computing done is value added to energ

For anyone heating their home/office in the winter, the energy consumed by their computer effectively has zero cost. The computing done is value added to energy-use that would otherwise dissipate through the walls and ceiling. Those of us in northern latitudes should be lucky enough to have a couple of servers in the closet helping to pay for heating.

ced 8y ago
Yeah, but who moves their computers outside of the closet in the summer? Then we have a larger AC bill to cover, and that's less efficient than heating.
- rplst8 8y ago
  A/C moves heat at some energy cost. It's not 1:1 with heating.
- Armisael16 8y ago
  AC is almost always more efficient than heating because AC systems use heat pumps.
sokoloff 8y ago
Only if you’re heating your house with electric resistance heat. Heating with natural gas or heat pump is more efficient (in terms of BTU per dollar) than using the waste heat from computing (which is resistance).
- 8bitsrule 8y ago
  True, for those lucky enough to afford that option (what % of homes have HP's?). Then there's this caveat: Heat pumps are not great in cold climates. They are most effective at saving energy when in the heating mode. In a cold climate, however, your house needs more heat as the temperature outside goes down—but the heat pump works less efficiently at lower outdoor temperatures. Below a temperature known as the “balance point,” normally from between 30 and 45 degrees F., supplementary heat is required—and that means expensive electrical heating kicks in. https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/heat-pumps.html https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/heat-pumps.html My home town seldom reached 30 degrees from November to April.
  - sokoloff 8y ago
    That reference is outdated or incomplete, imo. Several manufacturers have air-source heat pumps that work well into the teens and Fujitsu has one rated to -7*F without resistance heat. Lots of so-called hyper-heat or low-temp heat pumps (often mini-splits) in cold New England. Affording a heat pump is not a high hurdle. You can get a single zone mini-split (heat/cool) for under $1500 with an install typically well under $1000 without a lot of shopping in most of the US.
Vendan 8y ago
Compared to a heat pump, that computer is still costing money, cause a heat pump can add more heat to the house then an electric heating element using the same amount of energy.

ced 8y ago

Yeah, but who moves their computers outside of the closet in the summer? Then we have a larger AC bill to cover, and that's less efficient than heating.

rplst8 8y ago
A/C moves heat at some energy cost. It's not 1:1 with heating.
Armisael16 8y ago
AC is almost always more efficient than heating because AC systems use heat pumps.

sokoloff 8y ago

Only if you’re heating your house with electric resistance heat. Heating with natural gas or heat pump is more efficient (in terms of BTU per dollar) than using the waste heat from computing (which is resistance).

8bitsrule 8y ago
True, for those lucky enough to afford that option (what % of homes have HP's?). Then there's this caveat: Heat pumps are not great in cold climates. They are most effective at saving energy when in the heating mode. In a cold climate, however, your house needs more heat as the temperature outside goes down—but the heat pump works less efficiently at lower outdoor temperatures. Below a temperature known as the “balance point,” normally from between 30 and 45 degrees F., supplementary heat is required—and that means expensive electrical heating kicks in. https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/heat-pumps.html https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/heat-pumps.html My home town seldom reached 30 degrees from November to April.
- sokoloff 8y ago
  That reference is outdated or incomplete, imo. Several manufacturers have air-source heat pumps that work well into the teens and Fujitsu has one rated to -7*F without resistance heat. Lots of so-called hyper-heat or low-temp heat pumps (often mini-splits) in cold New England. Affording a heat pump is not a high hurdle. You can get a single zone mini-split (heat/cool) for under $1500 with an install typically well under $1000 without a lot of shopping in most of the US.

Vendan 8y ago

Compared to a heat pump, that computer is still costing money, cause a heat pump can add more heat to the house then an electric heating element using the same amount of energy.